Solomon’s Porch, a church in Minneapolis (click photo for website), photo from: http://www.matthewweathers.com
A new year has begun and already I’m getting bogged down in talk about churches struggling with finances, membership and viability. We have a number of churches who are seriously considering their short and long-term future in this part of the country right now. It all boils down to…
“How much longer can we afford to stay open?”
I admit, I hate that question because I’m not sure it’s the right question to be asking. The question I would like to see asked is, “How are we living out the gospel message we hold dear to?”
But that’s a post for another day.
The question I really want to engage with today is, “What does the church of my generation look like?”
Forget the model we currently inhabit. I want to engage with young adults to figure out what the church should look like for us, our generation and our children. I want to empower young people to build the church they want, not to simply sit in the church built by their grandparents and maintained by their parents.
We have an opportunity, right here, right now, to come together and ask questions, to come together and seek answers to our “big questions” in a way that speaks to us. Not that the message has changed over the last 2000 years, because I don’t believe it has, but the way in which we interact, engage, submit to, respond to, and be changed by this message can and has.
Are you a young adult? Do you go to church? If so, how does it feel to you? Is it meeting your needs? Does it inspire you to follow Jesus Christ? Why or why not?
If you don’t go to church, what is it that keeps you away? Why?
I’ve resolved to push our churches, to challenge them to speak to and interact with young people to help understand where they are in their spiritual walk and to find ways in which to enable them to ask questions and grow in faith. This may mean some serious changes need to happen, or maybe it may mean nothing changes, but we won’t know until we ask.
Let’s make an effort to make the church the best embodiment of Jesus Christ we can strive to be for all people, young and old.
Are you with me?